The Tagore Centenary Hall in Kozhikode being demolished.
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
The 51-year-old Tagore Centenary Hall, located in the heart of the city, is being demolished to make way for a proposed modern multipurpose complex. The Kozhikode Corporation has already obtained administrative sanction for the ₹67.75-crore project, with construction expected to begin in three months.
The Tagore Centenary Hall, the construction of which began in 1966 on the occasion of the birth centenary of Rabindranath Tagore, was inaugurated in 1973 and since then has been a cultural centre of the city. The hall hosted theatre events and cultural programmes and occasionally screened movies.
In recent years, the Corporation carried out several repair works to address structural issues in the hall. However, as the problems continued to mount, the decision was made to reconstruct it.
The proposed three-storey multipurpose complex will include a convention centre with a seating capacity of 2,000, a mini hall that can accommodate 150 people, and three multiplex cinema halls, each accommodating 130 viewers. Additionally, it will feature a dining hall for 500 people, a modern kitchen, advanced audio-visual facilities, a parking area for 150 cars, a pay-and-park space, an open amphitheatre with seating for 100, bookshops, a cultural street, and a jogging space.
To fund the construction, the Corporation plans to borrow ₹49 crore from the Kerala Urban and Rural Development Finance Corporation. The demolition is expected to be completed within three months.
Published – March 14, 2025 08:42 pm IST
